O'Rourke Re-Signed, Evans Let Go

There are mixed signals as to whether Clark Hunt and the Crew management are serious about building on the 2008 success.

On the one hand, unsung workhorse defender and homegrown Columbus hero Danny O’Rourke was resigned on Wednesday to a new contract.

However, foolishly, the bourgeois capitalists who control the means of production at Crew stadium have let midfielder Brad Evans slip to the expansion Seattle Sounders.

First, O’Rourke: Smart move, even though there was little doubt he would leave. At 25, O’Rourke has played in 96 career games, including stints with the San Jose Earthquakes and the New York Red Bulls (losers). He had a career-high 6 assists this year, but stats aren’t the name of the game for a defender. Crew bourgeoisie Brian Bliss called O’Rourke a “vital cog” in the defense, which indeed he has been.

Of course, the terms are undisclosed, but chances are it wasn’t a lot of money.

The average Columbus Crew member makes less than the Nordecke Luchador and most of his faithful readers.

The Crew Capitalists exploited O’Rourke’s labor last year for $59K and change.

The Crew players will share $211,000 in postseason bonus money because of their MLS Cup win, under to the league's collective bargaining agreement.

Each player would get $6,800, if management were to split the postseason bonus money 31 ways among all players. $6,800 is well over half what a developmental roster player at the bottom of the pay scale makes like Ryan Junge or Adam Moffat ($12,900).

As far as Evans, he was paid a measly $33K. For that, the Crew 26 solid games with one assist and 5 goals, three of them game winners in matches with one-goal margins. Not bad.

Moffat, whom Evans replaced early in the season, will get his starting spot back. And, the Crew will be required to pay him more this year, as he will move off the development roster.